


once upon a december

by nickofhearts



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: M/M, Self-cest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-24
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-12-18 19:06:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11880897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nickofhearts/pseuds/nickofhearts
Summary: ForNoctis Week 2017: "To my younger self."





	once upon a december

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dreamingcicadas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamingcicadas/gifts).



The man had just appeared in the Crystal chamber of the Citadel, as far as Noct could figure out, because no one was _telling_ him anything, even though he was the prince. That was nothing new, and as much as it irked him, he knew it wasn't going to change anytime soon. It was like Regis didn't _want_ him to take the throne, with how he kept Noct away from anything important, told him to concentrate on his studies, on extracurriculars at school, he was young yet. Noct didn't _feel_ young, he felt like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, heavier each time he saw his father on the television and he looked older and more worn down than the last.

The only reason Noct even knew something was going _on_ was because Ignis had been at the Citadel and had gotten caught up in the commotion. _He'd_ at least seen fit to inform his prince that something out of the ordinary was happening. A stranger just appearing in the Crystal room, like he'd fallen out of the Crystal? It was unheard of.

"And—" Ignis had told him in a hushed whisper, like it was something he wasn't supposed to know. "He looks just like _you,_ Noct."

Noct grit his teeth, wondering if he should head over to the Citadel, or if his dad would just try to keep him out of it—as _always._ No, this had to do with him personally, if what Ignis had said was true, and Noct had no reason to believe it wasn't. Ignis had never steered him wrong before.

Noct _wouldn't_ be kept out of this.

-

It turned out he didn't have anything to be worried about, because the stranger—"shit, why don't you just call me Caelum, so everyone doesn't get confused?"—insisted on seeing Noctis, and Noctis in _particular._ He refused to talk to anyone else, not even Regis or the Council, before he did.

"So?" Noct asked, hands on his hips as he stared— _Caelum_ —down. "What's the deal?"

Caelum shrugged flippantly, lounging back on the couch of Regis' office where they'd been sequestered for this totally secret meeting that Caelum now didn't seem to feel the need to take seriously. "Can I get a drink or something?"

Noct growled, huffing impatiently as he glared at Caelum, who remained completely unphased in the face of Noct's ire, and was in fact looking like he was considering going to _sleep_ if the way he'd stretched himself out with his arms propped behind his head was anything to go by. Noct wondered if this was how his dad felt all the time, and if so, how he _dealt_ with it. "Not until you tell me who you actually are."

Caelum lifted an eyebrow at him, a shit-eating grin on his face. "I thought that was _obvious._ "

Noct waited expectantly for him to go on, but still wasn't prepared for the gut-punch of his answer.

"I'm _you._ "

They eyed each other in silence for a full minute: Caelum, seemingly just to take in Noct's beyond shocked expression, and Noct, because _what the fuck?!_

"How's that even—" Noct asked, flabbergasted, when he'd recovered his voice.

"—possible?" Caelum finished for him. He shrugged again. "The Crystal? I'm from the future, yadda yadda," waving his hands directionlessly. "Can I get a drink now?"

Noct frowned, feeling unsettled. "You're not treating this seriously at _all._ "

Caelum snorted, closing his eyes and settling back against the couch when it appeared his younger self wasn't going to call a guard to bring him something. "The future's shit, don't look forward to it."

"Should you be telling me that?" Noct wondered.

"Hmm," Caelum—Noct's _future_ self—lifted his shoulders in another shrug. "Why not? It's not going to get any _worse._ "

That was...foreboding. "Shouldn't you be talking to dad about this? Maybe we can stop whatever," it was Noct's turn to wave his hands in the air, "from happening."

"You can't stop him," Caelum answered, almost in a mumble.

Noct felt suddenly despairing, like a yawning abyss had opened up before him. What could be so bad that his _self_ had given up hope like this? "Have you even _tried?_ " Noct snarled at him, fists clenched at his sides.

Caelum's eyes snapped open, intent on Noct's face for the first time since they'd started this conversation. "Look at _you,_ " he whispered, as if awed. "So _young._ "

Noct was about to protest that he wasn't _that_ young, thanks, this self looked maybe five or six years older than him at _most,_ when his face was suddenly held against rough palms, and he was— _being kissed?!_ —by his older self, who had the advantage of age and experience in _this,_ at least. He knew exactly how Noct enjoyed being kissed when Noct hadn't figured it out for himself yet, sharp little nips to Noct's lips that seemed to go straight to his cock, and then deeper gasping sighs of breath as Caelum traced over his lips with his tongue, teasing the sensitized skin that he'd bitten raw.

It wasn't long at all before Noct was shaking apart, coming in his pants from a _kiss_ as his older self fell back again with a sigh. Caelum _did_ go to sleep this time, and Noct—shuffled over to the furthest chair as he tried, futiley, to make sense of what'd just happened.

-

Noct had left the room in disgrace, telling Regis that he hadn't learned anything useful. It wasn't that Caelum didn't _want_ to tell them anything, but more like he thought it was pointless, that it actually wouldn't change anything no matter what grand secrets he imparted upon them.

Regis hadn't seemed that disappointed, probably because he hadn't expected Noct to get anything out of the man. It was— _annoying,_ supremely so.

Noct sulked about it all afternoon, basically zoning out through all of his classes, but that was nothing new either. He complained to Prompto about the whole frustrating fiasco, giving him the vaguest details of the account, but it obviously wasn't enough for Prompto to appreciate the _gravity_ of the situation, because he just patted Noct on the back and asked if he wanted to hit the arcade.

 _Whatever,_ Noct thought irritably. "Fine," he told Prompto. Maybe he could shoot some daemons in the face and pretend they were Caelum.

-

Noct wasn't to be spared, however, because Caelum met them at the arcade. He had a drink in hand, so it seemed like someone had finally given in to his demands.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Noct hissed at him, dragging him off to the side. Prompto waved at them curiously, but must have figured it was 'Official Business', because he headed into the arcade instead of waiting for them.

"I knew you'd be here," Caelum said, taking a swig of his—Noct squinted. Was that _sake?_

" _So?!?!_ " Noct growled when Caelum didn't give any further explanation.

"I'm feeling nostalgic," Caelum supplied.

"You're not _that_ much older than me," Noct grumbled at him.

"Sure," his older self agreed, "but you'd be surprised how much can change in a single moment of time." He seemed to get lost for a second, staring off into space, but then shook his head and took another swig. "Enjoy yourself while you can, tiny me."

"I'm _not_ tiny!" Noct yelled, "and that's not an answer! Why aren't you still being interrogated?!"

Caelum shrugged. "It got boring, so I left."

"Wait," Noct suddenly realized. "You just _left?_ " He glanced around them, looking for signs of Kingsglaive about to jump them from the shadows. " _You mean you ran away._ "

"Relax," Caelum told him. "I lost my tail."

"You lost your—!!!!"

The bottle of—it was _definitely_ sake—was pushed into his hand. "You look like you need this more than me."

"I'm not legal!!"

Caelum rolled his eyes. "Who's gonna tell?"

Noct want to _scream,_ but he took a mouthful of the sake instead and almost spat it out immediately. The drink _burned_ down his throat, bitter and cloying at the same time. It was the most disgusting thing he'd ever tasted. He slammed back another mouthful.

"Nice, huh?" Caelum asked him.

Noct flipped him the middle finger and chugged the rest of it down. He was wobbling slightly on his feet, but Caelum caught him neatly. He was so warm. And muscular. Was Noct going to develop muscles like that? That _was_ nice.

"Oh shit, I forgot how much of a lightweight I was."

Noct hiccuped, nuzzling his face against a firm chest. He felt so _sleepy_ all of a sudden...


End file.
